2027 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Jacob Waller, LB, Lindenwood University

• Name: Jacob Waller
• Position: LB
• College: Lindenwood University
• Height: 6′ 0″
• Weight: 215 lbs
• X: @Waller322
• Instagram: @jwaller322

What made you decide you wanted to be a football player?

So it probably started when I was like five or six. My dad just had Sportscenter on all the time and he was a huge cowboy fan, so growing up all I really saw was football on the screen and even before I started playing it, which was in like third grade I just fell in love with the game and then ever since then it’s just been something that I love to do and passionate about still to this day.

What are your favorite moments from your football life?

I would say high school was a huge thing for football for me because I’m from a very small school in town so just like playing with all my friends that I’ve known since kindergarten and then just having to play Friday Night Lights with my best friends was really cool and then playing at Iowa Western before I came to Lindenwood I won two national titles there that was very peak that was so fun to be a part of and then at Lindenwood just like the big games like the Kansas game a couple years ago that was a great atmosphere. The App State game last year was a great atmosphere too.

If you could hang out with any football player past or present for a day, who and why?

I would have to say Emmitt Smith. This might sound weird coming from a linebacker but since I grew up a Cowboys fan, my dad was a huge Emmitt Smith fan. That’s somebody like I looked up to. Basically my whole life so I would just love to chat with him, learn the game of football from him, and just see from his view of how everything goes.

What is your favorite defensive scheme and why?

I would have to say either cover two or man coverage. For cover two, I just like being able to drop towards the hashes into that hook /curl and just being able to read the quarterback’s eyes and break on the ball and then for the man coverage in our defense. I’m usually manned up on the tight end, I just like doing that because there’s usually no passes thrown to me or if there is, I’d like to get the PBUs.

What stands out about your film the most?

I would say just my ability to tackle the ball carrier whether it’s in the open field or in the box. I’m just confident enough that I could make that tackle even though I may be a little undersized for a linebacker in the box, I still can bring the big running backs down.

What should we know about Jacob Waller the person?

I’ll just say that I’m a hard worker. If you give me a task I will not quit until it’s done, do it with 100% of my effort and I’m also a kind guy, who is passionate for others, very giving to others.

What do you love the most about the game of football?

I would just say the first reason, you just have 22 guys on the field battling it’s kind of like a dog fight out there. It’s like the strongest yet the most like mentally stable will win and then also just being out there with your boys like at Lindenwood especially we’ve grown so tight together that just being able to trust each other on the field means so much. And it’s fun to win, of course.

Who is the most underrated player you played with and why?

I would say right now it’s Caelum Jones. He’s one of our linebackers this year just the way his attitude is towards the game, just the way he works in the weight room pushes people and I’m just expected to have a really good year, this year. .

What would a team get in a player like you?

I would say just someone that doesn’t quit, someone that will give their full effort no matter the task, someone that will not take the easy way and then play honestly wherever the team will need me, I’ll step up.